“For a few, having the right to cast a ballot or the opportunity to travel is all the persuasion they need to evolve from permanent resident status to citizen, said Marco Son, a partner at the Iselin law firm of Son and Keum, which spe­cializes in immigration law. But for many of Son’s clients, citizenship means they no longer have to fear deportation or losing their status of permanent resi­dency, which can result from something as simple as committing a misde­meanor. Citizenship is also a means to sponsor other family members who are looking to permanently live on U.S. soil, he said.”